Both platforms can take payments and look good. The wrong one wastes six months and a migration. Use the catalog and the checkout — not the ads — to decide.
Choose Shopify when
You have a clear brand, a focused catalog, and you want to launch in weeks. Shopify’s app store, themes, and checkout familiarity are hard to beat for DTC. Custom theme work (not a preset skin) still matters: collection filters, product pages, and a cart that does not feel generic.
Our Shopify builds start at $1,499 for a custom theme, payments, and the basics. Growth and Plus cover apps, subscriptions, and heavier catalogs. We also migrate from WooCommerce without throwing away URLs.
Choose BigCommerce when
You have a large or complex catalog, B2B pricing, or you need multi-storefront without bolting on five apps. BigCommerce is stronger when SKU count, variants, and customer groups are the product — not the brand story. Expect a higher floor: our BigCommerce work starts at $2,499 because the data model and integrations are heavier.
Neither, if you actually need an app
If the “store” is really a portal, configurator, or logged-in workflow, a theme will fight you. That is a MERN or LAMP build, sometimes with Shopify or BigCommerce only as the checkout.
Migration without losing SEO
Map every old URL. Keep titles and content where you can. Launch with redirects tested, not “we will add them later.” Product data, customers, and reviews move in a planned pass — not a CSV dump the night before.
Unsure? Send the catalog size, whether you sell B2B, and the current platform. We will tell you which cart is cheaper over two years — not just which homepage looks nicer. Shopify development, BigCommerce development, or get a quote.